#8 Postby Cameron Mc » Tue Jul 28, 2009 8:31 pm
Part of a message Marty sent back:
Day one of the Competition:
The day started as advertised, grey skies and drizzle. Without wet weather gear and equipment for keeping your plotting sheets and score cards dry you would’ve been in all sorts of trouble. Dry as a bone came in very handy.
800 yards: The targets are all ½ MOA V-bull and 1 MOA 5 ring which corresponds to the Australian F Class size targets for the 10 and 9 ring. All matches are 15 shot matches with 2 sighters. The last 1000yard match on the last day is a 20 shot match.
At 800 there was constant drizzle. There was 2¾ to 3 minutes of changeable wind on. I ended up with a 73.7 which under the circumstances I was quite pleased with. Chatting to some members of the US team I found out there was one who shot a 75.15 and one who shot a 75.12 amongst others. It’s hardly surprising given that after further chatting to one team member I was advised of the following:
• The US sent a 20 member team
• From that total 8 members would be selected for the teams comp at the end depending on performances through the meet
• 4 wind coaches were sent
• There were 3 compulsory team shoots held prior to traveling to the UK. If you couldn’t commit (wherever in the US they were to be held) you were off the team
• Most if not all members on the team had 2-3 practice sessions each week in the build up to the World Champs (I guess no one works??)
• Most have had deep backgrounds in 1000 yard benchrest
• All rifles were 6.5 x 284. To begin with, each competitor started with 5 barrels (Kriegers). Then of those, the best two were selected and were brought to the World Champs. They would not be used in competition after 600 rounds had been shot through them as they weren’t interested in taking any chances.
• Berger loaded all the ammo for each team member and to their individual specifications (i.e. tuned to the rifle)
• All ammo and equipment was shipped to the UK in a shipping container in advance by Berger for the team.
In terms of sponsorship, assistance and complete freedom to train, to say that the rest of us aren’t in the same boat is an understatement. I don’t think we’re even on the same ocean! I guess given the size of the US market, the sponsorship dollars are all there…
That said, to a man, all the members of the US team are all very friendly and humble and very nice to chat to.
900 yards: Still grey but no rain at this range. Shot a 71.5 and reasonably happy.
1000 yards: Many getting caught (and many doing OK, depending on the time you lie down). Shot a 64.4. Not really happy with it but did have some complicating circumstances…. The ammo reloaded with Hodgdon 4350 came up for the last two shots of the string. I had to start using it sooner or later and with only 88 cases and 17 shot matches, it’s going to have to come into a string somewhere, you just can’t get around it. In any case the changeover from one powder to the other resulted in the shot having perfect windage but going 1 MOA high for a 4. After the correction, the next and last shot of the string snuck out just below the 5 and also scored a 4. Thus two points were lost due to the powder change…
Whilst from here on I’ll be using the same powder (4350) that fact there was such a marked change from the original ADI powder and the Hodgdon (according to ADI, 2209 is repackaged as 4350 - must be a fair difference in lot numbers to get such a difference between the two of them then, in fact noticed a lot of dust on the cap when it was supplied to me. Most use Vitatouri here so the 4350 doesn’t really move…) doesn’t bode well, as with this much of a change I’m wondering whether the Hodgdon will still leave me on the node and thus minimize vertical…Who knows, we shall see tomorrow.
Not easy!!!!
- the expression "a dog's breakfast" springs to mind).
.
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